Marching band prepares for, bonds over new season

Students join band for many different reasons, whether it’s to make friends, to have fun, or to learn a new skill. But for senior Audrey Holden, the reason can only be described as inspiration.

“I march because when I was in the eighth grade [the Lamar band] went to the McCallum game and I got to be in the stands with [the McCallum band],” senior Audrey Holden said. “They played ‘Hawk’ for the first time, and I was like, ‘This is like the coolest thing.’ I was, you know, this stupid little kid, and I was like, ‘This is by far the coolest thing ever!’ So I thought that would be the best thing to do, to join marching band.”

Holden’s passion for music has brought her to nearly every football game since her freshman year. Holden said she feels marching band is an underrated activity.

“There are shirts that say, ‘What is the football team doing on the band field?’ and those always make me laugh,” Holden said. “Not a lot of people know how hard we’re working.”

The award-winning marching band dedicates much of its time to practicing not only for halftime shows, but competitions.

“A lot of people say that the marching band practices more than the football team, and that’s definitely true from my view,” Sophomore Ethan Shackelford said.

The band practices so often, in fact, that the relationships of fellow bandmates often go beyond that of typical students.

“I consider them a form of family,” Shackelford said. “We help each other out. We have each other’s backs. We help other people with situations they’re in.”

This band family is inclusive, even to their newest members, freshman Matthew Sargeant said.

“[The band] is really good about making people feel welcome,” Sargeant said. “I think that they’ve been pretty supportive. I’m not really scared of them.”

Though she is involved in multiple music programs, Holden said that her bandmates have allowed her to not only learn about music, but herself as well.

“[Marching band] is a huge dedication and takes a lot of time,” Holden said. “It makes you grow as a person; it helps teach you how to take care of yourself, and how to be more mature and learn how to be dedicated to something. [The band] is with each other at all points of the day. You have to deal with everyone being grumpy sometimes. You’re literally living with them. It makes you able to put up with them and also love them even more.”